Temptation
by TinaLynne
Summary: Speed develops new feelings for someone he's known for awhile...
1. Chance Encounter

Temptation  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: These characters belong to CBS but I'm using them for my own purposes for a little while. I promise to return them (relatively) unscathed  
  
Spoilers: Broken  
  
A/N: I found this episode deeply disturbing, as I'm sure all of us did, and I wanted to explore the feelings that Speed and the others must have been experiencing after this case. The story kind of took off from there!  
  
An exhausted Tim Speedle fell onto the couch and turned on the television. Flipping through the channels, he settled on an old Seinfeld rerun. He had always appreciated the often-sarcastic humor of this show and hadn't watched it in awhile. Now was a perfect time. He was sleep deprived but too wired to give into his fatigue--he just couldn't get his mind off the case he'd worked on for the past twenty-four hours. At this point he'd give anything to get the visions of that little girl out of his head. Luckily he hadn't had to work the evidence in the restroom where her body had been found but he hadn't been able to avoid going in there. At one point he'd needed to go in to speak to H and Megan and while he had done his best not to look at her, he had glimpsed Ruthie's lifeless form for an instant and that was enough to haunt him for the rest of the day. The idea that her life had been so senselessly taken away made him so angry and sad at the same time. He was just really glad that they had caught the bastard that did that to her. He had killed so many little girls, including this one and it was a relief knowing that this guy would finally be brought to justice. Speed turned off the television, realizing that Seinfeld really wasn't helping his mood. He felt very hungry and realized that he really hadn't eaten all day and knew that food would probably help a bit. Looking through his empty fridge and bare cupboards Speed shook his head. This was ridiculous. He really needed to go grocery shopping. Fast food wasn't the answer tonight--he'd been eating way too much of that crap lately.   
  
Speed wandered the grocery store aisles, regretting the decision he'd made to shop on an empty stomach. He had decided to make tacos and was grabbing all the stuff he needed for those plus anything else that appealed to him at the moment. His basket was overflowing and he quietly cursed as the head of lettuce he's just balanced on the top fell onto the floor. Leaning down to grab it, a can of soup fell onto the floor with a loud clatter.   
  
"Need some help?" Speed looked up to see Calleigh Duquesne looking at him with an amused expression. He was surprised to run into her here and had to admit that he wasn't really in the mood for her innate cheerfulness.  
  
"Oh, hey Calleigh. Thanks, but I think I've got it." He assured her, putting the lettuce back in the basket. Refusing to take no for an answer, Calleigh picked up the can of soup and handed it to him. He took it from her and set about rearranging the basket to try and fit everything in there.  
  
"On second thought, why don't you just share my buggy?" Calleigh said, motioning to her half-empty cart. "I've got some room." Rather than argue with Calleigh, Speed agreed, lowering his heavy basket into her cart. "Making tacos, huh? That sounds good. I've been wandering around here not really getting any ideas on what to make for dinner. I guess what I really need is sleep, not food. I think I'm just going to go home and go to bed." Speed looked at her, finally noticing the dark circles under her eyes and feeling bad that he didn't realize how tired she was. This case had affected her just as much as it affected him.   
  
"Calleigh, you've got to eat. Why don't you come over to my place and have dinner with me? I'll definitely have enough for two." Calleigh looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.  
  
"You know what, as much as I just want to sleep, I think I'll take you up on that." She said, giving him a smile that lit up her blue eyes. Together they finished getting the groceries for dinner and Tim realized that this was the first time he'd spent any time with Calleigh outside of work, just the two of them. They often hung out with Delko and went for dinner or drinks and but it was always the three of them. He had to admit that he kind of liked having her all to himself. She and Delko had such a connection that he sometimes felt a little left out when listening to their banter. Eric and Calleigh had very similar personalities and even though Speed was crazy about both of them, sometimes he found the combination of the two overpowering. He was a lot quieter than either of them and often found himself on the sidelines while they went back and forth. He found himself kind of looking forward to an evening with just Calleigh. Maybe he'd actually be able to get a word in edgewise.   
  
Calleigh pushed the cart into one of the checkout lines and looked up in surprise at the woman in front of them in the lineup. She was an attractive woman, with curly shoulder-length red hair who appeared to be around Calleigh's age. She was holding a bald baby girl, who, Speed had to admit, was adorable. He smiled at her toothy grin in spite of himself.   
  
"Cathy, it's so great to see you! It's been too long!" Calleigh gave the woman a hug and reached for one of the baby's little hands. "And look at you Missy, you've gotten so big!"   
  
"I know, it's hard to believe that Melissa is almost nine months old now." Cathy responded, in an accent that matched Calleigh's. "It really has been too damn long, Cal, considering we live in the same town again." Calleigh looked guiltily at her friend.  
  
"I can't believe how long it's been since we've seen each other, Cath. I know it's my fault for working so much. I never see my friends."   
  
"It's not all you, you know. There are days that we barely even leave the house." Cathy looked over Calleigh's shoulder at Speed, who was standing beside the cart silently watching this exchange. "And who's this?" She asked, looking at Calleigh suggestively.   
  
"Oh Tim, I'm sorry!" Calleigh looked at him, obviously embarrassed at not introducing her friend. "This is my friend Cathy and her daughter Melissa. Cathy and I went to school together in Louisiana. Cathy, this is Tim, we work together at CSI." Cathy shifted Melissa to her other hip and shook Tim's hand.   
  
"It's nice to finally meet you, Tim. Calleigh's mentioned your name a few times."  
  
"Oh, really?" Tim looked at Calleigh with raised eyebrows. He noticed she was blushing and decided to let it go for now.  
  
"It's all good stuff, don't worry." She said, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Now, let me hold this little girl, I'm dying to see her." Calleigh turned to Cathy, who handed Melissa over willingly. Melissa let out a delighted gurgle, immediately grabbing great fistfuls of Calleigh's long hair. Calleigh just smiled at her, and held her close as Cathy reached the checkout and starting unloading her groceries. She smiled as her daughter cooed happily in Calleigh's arms.   
  
"She likes you, Calleigh. She's been making strange lately with anyone besides me but she seems quite taken with you."  
  
"It must be the hair." Tim said, receiving a mock glare from Calleigh.  
  
"I'm good with kids, okay? It's more than just the hair." She said somewhat haughtily but smiling despite herself. As if to prove Calleigh's point, Melissa suddenly leaned against her head against Calleigh's chest, her eyes starting to droop. Calleigh sighed and swayed lightly, rocking Melissa in her arms.   
  
"Oh, Calleigh, that just looks so good on you. When are you gonna have one of your own?"   
  
"Well, why don't you just let me borrow yours for awhile?" Calleigh said, smiling hopefully and successfully dodging the question.   
  
"Anytime, Cal. Just say the word and I'll let you have her for the night. God knows I need to get out once in awhile." Calleigh nodded at her sympathetically and both women were quiet for a moment. Speed wondered what the story was there but figured it was none of his business. The cashier quickly rang through Cathy's groceries and she waited for Tim and Calleigh so they could walk out together.   
  
"I'm going to call you soon, Cathy so we can get together." Calleigh handed over a very sleepy Melissa and kissed the baby's forehead as she did.   
  
"Sounds good. It was great running into you, Cal and nice to meet you Tim."   
  
"Yeah, good to meet you too." Calleigh and Tim waved as Cathy strapped Melissa into her car seat and stood there until she drove away. "She seems nice." Tim commented to Calleigh as they unloaded groceries into her car.   
  
"She's awesome. She's been through a lot in the last year." Tim looked at Calleigh wondering if she was going to elaborate. "She moved here about two years ago when her husband had a job opportunity that he couldn't pass up. Then, when she was about six months pregnant her husband was killed in a car accident." Calleigh's eyes filled with tears as she told Tim the story. "She was so strong, some of us thought she might lose the baby in her grief but she pulled herself together for the sake of her child. It was amazing, actually."  
  
"It is amazing." Speed agreed. "She looks like she's really got it together."  
  
"Yes, she does. She told me once that if she didn't have Melissa that she didn't know how she'd go on. She lives for that little girl now." Calleigh's eyes looked so sad right now and Speed really wanted to change the subject.  
  
"So, you still up for tacos?" He asked, after a moment of silence.   
  
"Yeah." She answered with a small smile. "I could definitely go for some tacos right about now."   
  
"Meet me at my place, okay?"  
  
"Sounds good."   
  
Ten minutes later, they were in Speed's kitchen making dinner. Speed cooked the meat while Calleigh grated cheese and prepared the veggies. Speed could tell that she was still in a somber mood and he wasn't in the best of spirits himself. The image of little Ruthie kept creeping back into his thoughts and he tried to push her out of his mind. He noticed Calleigh watching him and did his best to put on a neutral expression.  
  
"Are you alright?" She asked him.  
  
"I will be."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's that fucking case. I can't get it out of my mind." Speed took the frying pan off the heat. "This is done."   
  
"I know what you mean about the case. I'm so ready to move onto the next one." Calleigh and Tim brought the food over to the kitchen table and sat down, each building their taco. "Oh, do you have sour cream?"   
  
"I do, I'll grab some." Tim took it out of the fridge and offered Calleigh a beer at the same time.   
  
"Oh, I'd love a beer. Thank-you."   
  
"You know, when it comes to cases like this...there are times I think I can't do this anymore. When I think about all of those little girls and what he did to them...." Tim shook his head and took a generous bite of his taco. His appetite was nonexistent right now but the food smelled good and he knew that the food would make him feel better. Calleigh quickly ate her first taco and downed half her beer in a few gulps.   
  
"Thanks for this, Tim. I'm glad you invited me for dinner."  
  
"Well, I'm glad you came. If I were alone, all I'd be thinking about is seeing Ruthie in the bathroom. It's bad enough that I'm thinking about it right now but at least you provide a bit of a distraction from those thoughts."  
  
"Thanks, I think." Calleigh smiled at him, finishing off her beer.  
  
"It's all good, Cal. You want more?" Calleigh nodded and started on her second taco.   
  
"I couldn't go in there. I mean, I've seen plenty of death before but with kids it's always so much harder, you know? There was no reason for me to go in there so I stayed the hell away. There was plenty for me to do outside that restroom."  
  
"Well, I wish I hadn't gone in. I just went in there to talk to H and Megan and there she was. I didn't want to look at her and I didn't mean to. I don't usually have a problem keeping my emotions at a professional distance but when it involves kids...it's just a lot to handle sometimes."   
  
"You know what, cases like this make me glad I don't have any kids of my own. I probably never will either." Calleigh said, taking another long swig of her beer.   
  
"You're not serious, are you? I mean, I thought you loved kids."  
  
"I do. That's exactly it. Why would I want to bring a child into a world with crimes like this? I saw Ruthie's mother and if I had to go through that...well, I'd rather not risk it."  
  
"Look, I'm the eternal pessimist, just ask anyone. But you can't go through life letting fear be your ruler. That's no way to live."  
  
"I'm not letting fear rule me. I just don't see myself ever having children."  
  
"Come on Calleigh, I saw you with that baby today. You looked so happy. Someday I bet you'll feel differently." Tim grabbed another couple of beers from the fridge and they started clearing the table as they continued their discussion.  
  
"I won't change my mind." Calleigh insisted. "I'm quite content being Auntie Calleigh. Kids just aren't in the cards for me."  
  
"How can you be so sure? I've heard of women like you who change their minds once that biological clock starts ticking."   
  
"Tim, my biological clock has been ringing its alarm since I was about nineteen years old. The timing has just never been right, though and now I've seen so much and I realize that I don't ever want to have a child who could potentially become a victim of one of these lunatics on the street. I don't ever want to feel that powerless."  
  
"So you are afraid."  
  
"Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore." Calleigh's tone was sharp and Speed knew that she wasn't kidding. He was actually kind of surprised at how strong her opinions were on this subject. He wondered if there was more to it than she wanted to reveal. Judging by her expression, she wasn't about to spill tonight.  
  
"You got it. Subject dropped." Speed said, hoping that this wouldn't turn awkward. He was enjoying her company and didn't want her to bolt. "Do you want to go sit out on the patio for awhile?" Calleigh nodded and they wordlessly walked out onto the patio, taking their beers with them.  
  
TBC  
  
Feedback makes my day so please leave some :) 


	2. Unexpected Emotions

Temptation  
  
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.  
  
Tim sat in a chair while Calleigh stretched out on the lounger across from him. Sighing, she freed her hair from the tight bun it was in and let it fall down her back, running her fingers through it. Speed took another gulp of beer and allowed himself to admire her for a moment as she looked up at the dark sky.   
  
It was amazing the power a beautiful woman could have over the men around her. Delko had told him how Calleigh had managed to get the prints of one of the suspects in Ruthie's killing. By using her good looks and southern charm, Calleigh had managed to get his prints and Speed was sure the guy probably hadn't even known what hit him. Calleigh could definitely turn on the charm when she wanted to and knew how to use it to her advantage. He had been on the receiving end a time or two himself and couldn't say that he minded when Calleigh got that look in her eyes that told him she wanted something. Sometimes he would let his imagination run wild and let himself believe that he was what she wanted.   
  
The problem was that he and Calleigh were just friends and he really didn't want to complicate things by developing feelings for her now. He liked things the way they were and was sure that she did too. So, most of the time he refused to think about the possibility of their friendship turning into something more and just enjoyed being with her as a friend and co-worker. Life was crazy enough already without letting his primal urges get the best of him. Calleigh looked over at Speed and let out a sigh.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I was just thinking about Cathy and how I want to help her get her life back."  
  
"What do you mean? I thought she was doing okay."  
  
"Well, she is. It's just that she's not working right now and all of her time is spent with Melissa. She needs to get out and I need to convince her that it's okay to let herself have a good time once in awhile."  
  
"So invite her out, then."  
  
"I have but she always has an excuse. She can't find a babysitter or she doesn't want to go the bar because she thinks that they're all meat markets." Speed laughed at that comment.  
  
"Well, she's got a point."  
  
"I guess so, but all we want to do is dance, not meet men. It's easy enough to tell them to back off." Calleigh insisted. Speed knew what it could be like at some of the clubs and couldn't blame Cathy for feeling the way that she did. Two single, beautiful women like Calleigh and Cathy would no doubt have men making passes at them all night. Maybe Speed could help offer up a solution.  
  
"Well, what if Delko and I were to go with you? We might be able to help deter some of those guys from bothering Cathy. Then there would be no assumptions that she was available." Calleigh brightened at the idea.  
  
"That actually sounds like fun. I would love for Cathy and Eric to meet too. I think they would really hit it off." Calleigh looked lost in thought for a moment.  
  
"What are you thinking? You want to set them up or something?"  
  
"No, not really. I don't think Cathy is ready for that yet but meeting Eric would be a step in the right direction. She hasn't met very many people since moving here so I would love for her to meet some of my friends. If something else comes of it then, great." Calleigh said with a playful grin.   
  
"Well, if Cathy is anything like you, I'm sure that she and Delko will get along great."  
  
"She's a bit quieter than I am but she's got a great sense of humor and is just a wonderful person. I know they'll get along."  
  
"Well, Delko and I were going to go out this weekend actually. A friend of mine is playing a gig at Silver's. Why don't you two join us?"  
  
"It's short notice but it sounds like fun. I'll call her tomorrow and maybe before I do I'll ask Alex if she can recommend any good babysitters. I do know it's hard for Cathy to leave Melissa with anyone I'm not sure if I'll be able to convince her to go out. It's worth a shot though." Speed watched her face, amazed at how she could go from serious and slightly depressed to excited and positive in about ten seconds flat. He was sorry he had upset her earlier but was glad to see her in a better mood now. Maybe someday she'd feel comfortable enough with him to talk about what had bothered her so much about that conversation. For now he was just happy to see the smile return to her face.   
  
"Hopefully she agrees, but if not then you should come with us on your own, Cal. It's going to be a great time."  
  
"Oh, I plan to." Calleigh finished her beer and set it down on the floor next to her. "You know what, though? It's getting late, and I'm so tired. I should really get going."   
  
"Are you okay to drive, Cal? I know you've only had a couple, but..."   
  
"I'm not going to drive, silly. You're going to call me a cab." Tim raised his eyebrows at her.  
  
"Oh, I am, huh?"  
  
"Unless you want an unwelcome houseguest on your couch, yes, you are." Calleigh said, smiling at him. Speed was glad that she was back to her old self. He also knew that when she looked at him like that, he would do pretty much anything she asked him. It's not like she couldn't just call a cab herself but she was playing with him and Speed was enjoying it as much as she was.  
  
"You're quite welcome to stay here, you know? I've got more than enough room." Calleigh shook her head as she smiled and stood up.  
  
"I just want to sleep in my own bed tonight. Thanks, anyhow, Timmy." She was looking at him with a strange expression and it occurred to Speed that she might have mistaken his offer as something more than just crashing on the couch.  
  
"What did you call me?" Speed asked, deciding to ignore that possibility. If he had misinterpreted her reaction then the situation would only become more awkward if he brought it up. He stood up too, and pretended to be irritated by the sound of his seldom-used nickname.   
  
"Oh you heard me, and you liked it too." Calleigh said playfully as she headed back into his apartment, shooting him a smile over her shoulder. Speed couldn't hold back a smile and realized that he really didn't want her to leave. He wasn't about to tell her that he wanted her to stay though because that would mean stepping into uncharted territory that he wasn't ready to explore yet.  
  
Ten minutes later, Tim walked Calleigh down to the waiting cab.   
  
"Thanks so much for dinner, Tim. That was great. You did help to lighten my mood, believe it or not." She smiled gratefully.  
  
"You did the same for me, Cal. I'm glad we ran into each other and I think we should hang out like this more often."  
  
"I hope we do too." Calleigh said, looking into his eyes. Speed felt sudden heat in his face and neck and was surprised at the reaction he was having to Calleigh tonight. Suddenly feelings he didn't realize he had were surfacing and he wasn't sure if he should just ignore them or act on them. Going for the former, Speed resisted the temptation to kiss Calleigh's inviting lips and pulled her into his arms for a hug instead. When they pulled apart she looked a little surprised but didn't say anything about his sudden gesture of affection.  
  
"Do you want me to give you a ride in tomorrow morning? Then after work we can come back here and you can pick up your car?" He asked her, noticing that her cheeks looked a little flushed in the glow of the streetlights. Was it from the night air or was it because of him? What he wouldn't give to know the answer to that.  
  
"That would be great, actually. Otherwise I'd have to take a cab in."  
  
"How about I pick you up at seven? That way we won't be rushed?"   
  
"Thanks, Tim." Calleigh opened the door to the cab and ducked inside. "Goodnight." She smiled and waved at him and he waved back, watching until the cab disappeared from sight. Right now he was convinced of two things. One, he was beyond tired and really needed to get some sleep. Two, he had developed an intense crush on Calleigh Duquesne. The question was, should he explore these feelings and see where they could possibly lead or should he just ignore them and continue just being Calleigh's friend? Would that be enough? One thing was certain, he wasn't going to reach a decision tonight. Speed headed back into his apartment, ready to fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.   
  
Speed woke up the next morning feeling very clear-headed and convinced that his feelings from the previous night were just the product of an emotional day, too little food and a couple of beers. Not that he'd been drunk but he just couldn't think of any other way to explain why he his mostly platonic feelings for Calleigh had exploded into something he had no control over. Yes, he had always liked Calleigh and knew she was special but if she had known some of the thoughts that had been going through his mind last night.... Well, needless to say, he was glad that she couldn't read his mind. He was sure that when he saw her this morning that his feelings would be back to normal and he wouldn't have to give it another thought.   
  
As soon as he caught sight of her walking out the front entrance of her building however, he knew that he hadn't imagined anything. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her and he felt his face crack into a wide smile. Calleigh didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary and gave him a small wave when she saw him waiting by the car.  
  
"Good morning, Tim." Calleigh said, smiling as he opened the car door for her and she got inside.  
  
"Good morning." He responded. "You look really nice this morning, Calleigh." It was true and Speed knew that the outfit she had on was going to drive him crazy all day.   
  
"Thank-you, Tim. I had a great sleep and feel so much better than I did last night. How about you?" Calleigh asked, as he slid into the driver's seat.  
  
"I slept pretty good, actually. I actually thought that I might dream about the case but I don't remember dreaming about that at all. The images aren't haunting me like they were yesterday."  
  
"Well, good. Just focus on something else. Whatever it takes to get your mind off of it and move on." Speed wondered if Calleigh would still say that if she knew exactly what his mind was focussed on now.   
  
"I am, believe me." He replied, keeping his eyes on the road and away from those baby blues of hers.  
  
"I want to thank you again Tim, for dinner last night and the company too. I'm sorry if I was a little short with you." Calleigh put a warm hand on his leg for a moment as she said this and Speed felt his stomach lurch in reaction.   
  
"Don't apologize, okay? I'm sorry that I was pushing you to talk about something you didn't want to discuss." Speed still felt a bit guilty for how Calleigh had reacted the night before when he was questioning her decision not to have kids.  
  
"It's not your fault. I should have explained myself a little better and someday, I will...just not right now." They were stopped at a red light so Speed turned to look at her then. Her eyes looked a little teary and he wished he knew what to say to her. He didn't even know what was wrong so how could he say the right thing?  
  
"Calleigh, don't worry about it. You don't owe me any explanations." He put a comforting hand on hers and she nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to overflow.  
  
"One of these days, Tim. I promise we'll have a long conversation and then you'll understand why I feel the way I do." The light turned green and Tim gave her hand a squeeze before he shifted the car into gear.   
  
"Whatever you want, Calleigh. Just know I'm here for you and you can tell me anything, okay?" Speed said softly.  
  
"Thank-you. That really means a lot to me."   
  
"Well, you're important to me, so don't ever doubt that." Speed chose his words carefully, not wanting to completely give away his feelings but he really wanted her to know that he valued her as a friend at the very least.  
  
"Well, you're important to me too. Considering how much time I spend at work, I love the fact that at least I've got some good friends working right along with me."  
  
"I know what you mean." The fact that he did have such great working relationships with his co-workers was something that he valued greatly and the fact that they got along outside of work too was a huge bonus.   
  
They were both quiet for a few minutes and then Calleigh broke the silence, telling Speed about a crazy message her younger brother had left on her answering machine, telling her that he had gotten engaged to a girl he had just met. Speed listened as Calleigh gave him a blow-by-blow of the details and before he knew it, they were pulling into the parking lot of CSI headquarters.   
  
Calleigh continued her story as they got out of the car and they headed toward the building, meeting Eric and John Hagen as they did. Speed saw looks of surprise on the faces of the other two men as they all greeted each other and realized they must have seen Calleigh and him arrive together. Eric would find out later what the scoop was but Speed kind of liked the idea that Hagen might think he and Calleigh were an item. He knew that John had the hots for Calleigh and that the feelings were not reciprocated so the thought of making him a bit jealous didn't bother Speed at all. Calleigh had complained to him and Eric about Hagen's advances on a number of occasions and both of them had offered to talk to him about backing off. Calleigh had protested, insisting she could handle him herself. Speed knew she could but the thought of John Hagen's groping hands anywhere near Calleigh just didn't sit well with him. She had claimed that it was harmless but Speed still felt like Hagen's behavior when he was working solo with Calleigh bordered on sexual harassment. He had shared those feelings with Delko who had told him to chill out. If things ever got that bad, Calleigh would either ask for help or deal with it on her own, she was a strong person. Besides the fact that Hagen was actually a nice guy, he just had it bad for Calleigh. Speed had to agree with that and knew that he was probably over-reacting a little bit. He could hardly blame Hagen for feeling the way he did. Thinking back to that now, Speed was surprised he hadn't realized then that his feelings for Calleigh ran deeper than friendship.  
  
TBC  
  
I love feedback so please R&R :) 


	3. Deny Everything

Temptation  
  
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.  
  
Dedication: This chapter is for everyone who has been thoughtful enough to leave feedback, you all make this worthwhile---please keep it up :)  
  
Speed could tell that Hagen was trying his best not to show he was bothered seeing he and Calleigh arrive together as he smiled at both of them.  
  
"So, what case are you working on today, Calleigh? We can use all the help we can get on this one." Delko looked at Speed and rolled his eyes at the obvious admiration in John's voice. Calleigh took it in stride.  
  
"Well, John, as you know I just got here so I don't know which case I'm assigned to yet. I'm sure Horatio will be able to tell me that when I speak to him, though."  
  
"Of course, but I just want you to know that it would be great to have you on this case." John said, his unwavering smile surprisingly intact given the coolness in Calleigh's tone when she spoke to him. Speed almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.  
  
"Thanks John, I'll keep that in mind. Let's go inside, shall we?" She said, turning to Speed. He smiled at her and followed her in the building, ignoring the amused expression on Delko's face as he did.  
  
"I'll catch you later, Delko."   
  
"Sure thing." Delko answered. Speed knew that if Delko thought something was up he wouldn't let it go so he'd have to be very nonchalant when explaining the situation later. If he ever decided to share his feelings for Calleigh, she'd be the first one to know about it.   
  
The two of them entered the building and met Horatio in the hallway. He informed them that they would be working on a case with him today. Speed was to join him at the crime scene and Alex needed Calleigh in the morgue. There were some interesting gunshot wounds on one of the bodies and they wanted Calleigh to check them out, along with the bullets Alex had pulled from the corpse.  
  
"I'll call you later if we need you to come to the crime scene but for now I think there's plenty for you to do here."  
  
"Sure Horatio. I'll see you guys later." Speed watched Calleigh disappear down the hallway and knew that it was probably a good thing they wouldn't be working together much today. He was looking forward to burying himself in the mystery of a new case and didn't want these newfound emotions interfering with that.  
  
"Okay, Speed? You ready to head out?" Horatio asked him. Speed turned his attention from Calleigh's departing form to Horatio, who was studying him thoughtfully.  
  
"Definitely, boss. I'm more than ready."   
  
"Grab your kit and meet me at outside, okay?"  
  
"You got it."  
  
The morning went by quickly as Speed and Horatio worked the crime scene together. Speed didn't see Calleigh or Delko again until he met up with the two of them in the lunchroom in the early afternoon. Calleigh was sitting on the couch next to Delko, both of them talking and laughing. Calleigh's eyes locked with his when he entered the room and he felt his heart skip a beat when she did.  
  
"Hey, Tim. I've just been trying to convince Eric that I didn't spend the night at your place but he can't seem to grasp the concept that not everyone is like him. Some people have self-control." Delko snorted at that comment and looked at Speed doubtfully.  
  
"It's true." Speed insisted. "Calleigh just had a few drinks at my place last-night so she decided to take a cab home. I offered to give her a ride in and then she'll pick up her car after work."  
  
"I believe you, I just like making Calleigh squirm." Delko said, laughing as Calleigh elbowed him. Speed watched the two of them in amusement. Sometimes they acted like a couple of kids but he had to admit they could be entertaining at times.  
  
"Oh, and I've got good news! Cathy has agreed to join us on Friday night." She said, ignoring Delko and turning her attention back to Speed.  
  
"Great. I'm glad she could make it. I'm sure she'll have a good time."  
  
"Oh, she'll have a good time alright." Delko said, winking at Calleigh.  
  
"Down, boy." Tim said. "The woman is in mourning, don't forget that."  
  
"I know but I think after a year she could use a distraction from her mourning. I don't mind providing one for her."  
  
"I've already told him about her husband, he just thinks he's god's gift to women, is all." Calleigh teased, messing up his hair playfully. Eric pushed her hand away with a laugh.   
  
"Well, what else is new?" Speed said dryly.  
  
"Hey!" Eric protested. "What is this, pick on Delko day?"  
  
"Every day is pick-on Delko day, didn't you know that?" Calleigh said sweetly.  
  
"Whatever." Delko responded, shaking his head at them both.  
  
"So, Cathy found a babysitter, then?" Speed asked Calleigh.  
  
"Actually, when I asked Alex if she could recommend a babysitter she volunteered for the job. It's really the perfect solution because Cathy has actually met Alex and her kids before. Missy loves other kids too, so Cath is going to drop Melissa off at Alex's and then come by my place so we can get ready together."  
  
"So, should we meet you at Silver's or do you want a ride?"   
  
"Oh, I don't think you and Delko will want to wait around for us to get ready so we'll just meet you there." Calleigh answered quickly. Speed hoped that it wasn't because she disliked the idea of going together. He just wanted them all to go as friends and have a good time. Eric could have all the expectations he wanted about the situation but Speed wasn't about to fool himself into thinking that Calleigh wanted to date him.   
  
If he didn't get his hopes up then he wouldn't be disappointed later. At least that's what he was going to keep telling himself. He could fantasize all he wanted but he was sure there was no possible future with Calleigh beyond the friendship they already shared.  
  
"So, Cathy knows that Speed and I are going too, right?"   
  
"That's part of the reason she agreed to go. Having you guys there will help her to relax because she won't feel like men are going to be hitting on her all night. They'll assume that she's with one of you."  
  
"So, you're just using us, then?" Delko asked, pretending to be hurt.  
  
"Sure, if that's how you want to look at it." Calleigh answered, egging him on. "By the way, I've already warned Cathy about you Romeo, so don't try anything funny."  
  
"Who, me? I'm wounded, Calleigh." Eric responded, grinning at her.  
  
"I was kidding." Calleigh admitted, with a smile as she went to her bag to grab an apple. "I can't wait for Cathy to get to know both of you. She needs more grown-up interaction, that's for sure."   
  
"Well, the music is going to be great. I think she'll have fun." Speed assured her. He was actually starting to really look forward to their night out. It was only Wednesday and he hoped that the next few days would go by quickly.   
  
Break-time ended abruptly as Speed's cell phone rang.  
  
"Speed, it's Horatio. Can you meet me in the lab right away? I've got something here you need to see."  
  
"I'll be there right away." Speed said.  
  
"Oh, and is Calleigh with you?" Horatio asked.  
  
"She is." He answered, meeting Calleigh's eyes as he did. She looked at him curiously.  
  
"Good, because this will interest her too."  
  
"No problem, we're on our way." Speed turned off his phone as Calleigh got up off the couch. "H needs us in the lab, there's something he wants us to look at."  
  
"That's right." Delko said. "Get back to work." Calleigh flashed him a dirty look and threw her apple at him. He managed to catch it and avoid being hit in the head. He looked at her in surprise. "Pretty good throw, for a girl."  
  
"Don't think I'm going to let that one go." She said as she left the room. Speed grinned at Delko.  
  
"You're in for it now, Buddy. Don't forget that woman is an incredibly good shot."  
  
Delko just laughed and took a bite of the apple.  
  
Calleigh and Speed spent the rest of the afternoon working on evidence, Calleigh in Ballistics; Speed in Trace. There was plenty for each of them to process for their mutual case. Speed got so involved in what he was doing and distracted by thoughts of Friday night that he didn't notice Calleigh had come into the lab until she put her hand on his shoulder, making him jump. He spun around in time to see her apologetic smile.   
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that." Calleigh said, her hand still lingering on his shoulder. "What are you so wound up about, anyhow? You're so tense." She put her other hand on his other shoulder and gently massaged his tight muscles. Speed suppressed a groan and let his eyes close, allowing himself to enjoy the moment that he would inevitably have to end. Her touch was driving him crazy and he wished he could tell her what was really on his mind.  
  
"That feels great, Cal but I've really got to finish up here. I'm almost done." He said, pulling away from her touch as he stood up and faced her. She smiled at him but her eyes held a different emotion. Sadness, disappointment....he couldn't be sure. "Are you okay?" He asked her.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine. Just ready to end the day, I guess. How much longer do you think you'll be? I'm done analyzing the bullets so I can give you a hand if you want."  
  
"I appreciate the offer but I think I've got it all under control. I'll only be another ten minutes if you don't mind waiting."   
  
"No problem. I'll just wait right here for you." Calleigh plunked herself down in a chair near Speed's and watched as he continued working. Feeling her gaze fixed on him, Speed found himself feeling a bit self-conscious. He turned to look at her and she smiled at him. Trying hard to focus on the work in front of him and not the woman distracting him with her mere presence, he could feel heat rise to his cheeks and was sure he was blushing. Hopefully Calleigh wasn't picking up on his discomfort. He looked over at her again as she watched him with interest.  
  
"What?" She asked him innocently.  
  
"I can't concentrate with you sitting here watching every move I make." Speed said stiffly, sounding more irritated than he'd planned.  
  
"Okay..." Calleigh said, and now she was the one who looked uncomfortable. "Maybe I'll wait for you in the lounge instead." She got up to go and Speed jumped up too. Calleigh high-tailed it to the door and Speed grabbed her hand, stopping her before she could leave. She looked at his hand grasping hers and then looked up at his face.   
  
Not able to read her expression, Speed dropped her hand and silently cursed himself for being so hasty. He was finding her so hard to read right now and even though she was the one who had just massaged his shoulders that didn't necessarily give him permission to grab her hand.  
  
"I'm sorry, Cal. I guess that other case is still bothering me and I'm just easily distracted right now. You don't have to go." Calleigh took a step closer to him and put a hand on his arm.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that it was about the case?" Speed felt guilty seeing the concern in her eyes. He felt like a jerk lying about his discomfort but he couldn't exactly reveal the true reason why she was distracting him.   
  
Right now her body was a little too close for comfort and it took all his willpower not to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Forcing his mind out of the gutter, Speed continued on with his charade.  
  
"I should have told you Calleigh but I'm just really trying to forget it and I think I've talked about it enough already."  
  
"Look, I'm going to wait out in the lounge so just come and get me when you're ready to go, okay?" Speed nodded at her.  
  
"Okay. I won't be long." Calleigh smiled at him and gave his arm a squeeze before she left the lab. Speed stood there, feeling like an idiot for a moment before he got back to work. He really needed to get a grip and stop acting like a fool. That wouldn't have been difficult a couple of days ago but now it seemed like everything had changed.   
  
Hopefully, when the time was right he'd be able to talk about things with Calleigh. If there was the slightest chance she felt the same way he did then he had to find out somehow. Without looking foolish if it turned out she only had friendly feelings for him in return.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Speed found Calleigh in the lounge, talking on her cell phone. She smiled when she saw him enter the room.  
  
"Dean, I've got to go." She said into the phone and Speed's heart fell, realizing she was talking to another man. "No, really. I've got to go. You can tell me more about her later. I'm sure I'll be meeting her soon too." Calleigh rolled her eyes at Speed as she held the phone away from her ear and he could hear a loud, excited voice coming from it. "Dean, I promise, I'll call you later, okay? Okay. I love you too. Bye." Calleigh hung up the phone and let out an amused sigh.  
  
"Everything okay?" Speed asked her, relieved that this man did not sound like someone Calleigh was dating.  
  
"My little brother. He's just so excited about this girl. I'm happy for him but he's torturing me with every little detail. I swear, by the time I meet her I'll probably know more about her than her own family does."   
  
"Good for him. Everyone needs someone to love like that."  
  
"We'll all get there, eventually." Calleigh said, locking eyes with him. "You still seem kind of down. Are you sure you're alright?"  
  
"I'm fine, Calleigh. Really." Speed said, giving her his best smile and hoping that it was convincing.   
  
"Good. I'm glad to hear it." She said, smiling as she grabbed her purse. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Whenever you are." Speed answered, letting Calleigh lead the way out of the room.   
  
The drive to Speed's apartment was a relatively silent one. Calleigh sat looking out the window and Speed let his mind wander as he tried to figure out what he was going to say to her and when. As they pulled into the parking lot of his building, he was no further ahead than he had been when they'd left CSI. They got out of the car and Calleigh shot him a grateful smile.   
  
"Thanks again for the ride, Tim. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Anytime, Calleigh. Have a good night."   
  
"You too." Calleigh got into her car and drove off, leaving Speed wondering why he didn't think to invite her up to his apartment. Neither of them had eaten dinner. Oh well, there was no point mourning a missed opportunity. Speed headed into his apartment, wondering what he was going to do to fill the lonely evening ahead of him.  
  
I hope I'm not building things up too slowly here, feedback is appreciated, as always... 


	4. A Night Out

Temptation  
  
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.  
  
A/N: I want to thank everyone who left feedback for the last chapter. You guys rock and inspire me to write more so don't stop now, please :) Let me know what you think of this one....  
  
For the next couple of days, Speed barely saw Calleigh at all, as he, Megan and Delko became entrenched in a case that kept them out of the office all day Thursday and most of Friday. She was often in his thoughts but he didn't see her until Friday afternoon when they ran into each other in the hallway outside the Trace lab.  
  
"Hey stranger." Calleigh greeted him. "How's your big case going?"  
  
"It's going great, actually. We're wrapping things up right now and then we'll be able to call it a day. How about you?"  
  
"Oh, I'll be out of here soon too. I'm really looking forward to tonight."  
  
"So am I." Speed said. He was looking forward to it more than she would ever know.  
  
"What time should we meet you at Silver's?"   
  
"Well, the gig starts at ten so why don't we meet outside the entrance at 9:30?"  
  
"Okay, that should give us enough time." Calleigh said thoughtfully. "Cathy's coming over to my place at seven..."  
  
"I'm sure that's plenty of time for you to get ready." Speed assured her. Calleigh gaped at him.  
  
"Two women, trying to get ready for a rare night out? Don't even get me started. We could take hours."  
  
"Calleigh, you're both beautiful so I can't see how getting dressed up would take that long." Speed couldn't resist the compliment, it was truly how he felt.  
  
"That's sweet of you to say but there's always room for improvement, believe me. Besides, sometimes it takes me half an hour just deciding which shoes to wear."  
  
"How many shoes do you own, anyhow?" Speed asked her, eliciting a somewhat embarrassed giggle from Calleigh.  
  
"Tim, you don't even want to know. Listen, I've got to go but I'll see you later, okay?" Calleigh walked away, smiling once over her shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, see you later." Speed called, as she continued down the hall. Hopefully tonight would go well. He and Delko were going to be taking a cab but he still wasn't planning on drinking much because he really didn't trust himself around Calleigh right now. He didn't want to risk making a fool out of himself tonight.  
  
Delko and Speed were outside Silver's at 9:15 and there was no sign of Cathy and Calleigh yet so they just hung out, chatting while they waited. Speed could not relax and kept looking around, keeping on the lookout for the two women.  
  
"You seem pretty antsy." Eric observed, with a grin. "What's going on with you?"  
  
"Nothing's going on." Eric looked unconvinced. "Seriously. I just hope they get here soon, because it's going to start getting busy out here."  
  
"Well, you don't have to worry because there they are." Eric said, looking over Speed's shoulder. Speed turned around and saw them waiting to cross the street to get to the club. The sight of Calleigh literally took his breath away for a moment---he'd never seen her looking more beautiful. She was wearing a silky looking dark red dress that fell just past her knees. It was sleeveless and had a plunging neckline, showing off plenty of cleavage. Speed checked to make sure his mouth wasn't hanging open as the two women approached. He wanted to say something but his mind went blank for a moment.   
  
"Hey guys." Calleigh drawled. "Well, don't you two look great." Speed swallowed and managed to speak at last.  
  
"Hey Calleigh. You both look beautiful." He honestly hadn't really looked at Cathy, Calleigh was the only woman he could see right now. Speed just hoped he wasn't being too obvious in his admiration.  
  
"Yeah, Calleigh, you both look awesome." Delko said.  
  
"Thanks, guys. Cathy, you remember Tim?" Cathy nodded and smiled at Speed, who managed to pry his eyes away from Calleigh and smile back. "And this is Eric Delko, who works with us at CSI. Eric, meet Cathy Gaillard, a good friend of mine." Eric and Cathy shook hands and the four of them headed for the entrance to Silver's, with Calleigh and Cathy leading the way. Delko shot Speed a look that told him he was totally onto him. He knew that he probably wasn't doing a very good job of covering his feelings for Calleigh right now. He just hoped it wasn't so obvious to the object of his affection because he wasn't ready to face her quite yet.  
  
An hour later, the band was onstage performing and the place was getting pretty crowded. They'd managed to get a table with a great view of the band and Speed sat there with Calleigh across from him as they listened to the music and watched their friends dance. Calleigh had been out there for awhile too but had come back to their table after a little while. Speed wasn't in the mood to dance quite yet so he was glad she had decided to come back to finish her drink and keep him company. Eric and Cathy on the other hand, had hit the dance floor as soon as the live music had started and hadn't stopped since then. Calleigh leaned close to Speed for a moment, catching him off guard. He thought maybe this was it, she was going to kiss him, but instead she cupped his ear and spoke into it, her warm breath sending shivers up his spine.   
  
"I'm so glad I talked her into coming here. Look at her, she's having the time of her life." Speed nodded at Calleigh as she pulled away, her hair brushing against his hands. It was true, Cathy was totally losing herself in the music as she and Delko danced in an ever-growing sea of bodies. They talked back and forth for a little while, about the way Cathy was smiling at Eric and how great the music was. Speed pointed out the members of the group, including the base-guitarist Nick, who was a friend of his.   
  
He found that the way Calleigh's eyes were sparkling in the dim light and the sweet smell of her hair completely intoxicating. They were both drinking but Speed knew that it wasn't the alcohol making him feel this way. Every time Calleigh put her head next to his to make him hear her over the loud music he wanted to put his hands on her face and pull her lips to his. She was driving him crazy tonight and he was sure she had no clue.   
  
As he looked into her eyes he hoped that they would be able to spend some time alone later, someplace where he could hear himself think. Then maybe he could work up the courage to tell Calleigh how he was feeling. She was staring right back at him and a small smile crept onto her face. Something about the way she was looking at him made Speed realize that there was a good possibility that she might share his feelings, this couldn't be his imagination, could it?   
  
Calleigh eyes suddenly left his and Speed looked up to see a tall man with dark blonde hair standing behind her. He leaned close and said something to Calleigh that Speed couldn't hear. Calleigh nodded at him and smiled. Speed's heart dropped as Calleigh stood up and told him she was going to go dance. He tried to smile back and wanted to kick himself for waiting too long to get out there with her. Now someone else had beaten him to the punch. Calleigh followed this mystery man onto the dance floor and Speed watched them move with the music. He looked over at Eric and Cathy, who still appeared to be having a great time.   
  
This night wasn't going as he had anticipated and he was starting to feel kind of sorry for himself since he was the only one left sitting at the table. At the same time, he didn't want to dance with anyone if he couldn't dance with Calleigh. Speed sat there watching Calleigh dance with another man and tried not to scowl as she laughed at something he'd whispered in her ear. Hopefully they would only dance together for one song and then Calleigh would come back to their table, sending this guy on his way.   
  
Unfortunately, when the song ended, the two showed no signs of stopping. Speed was so busy watching them that he didn't notice Eric and Cathy return to their table. Delko wordlessly handed him another beer and gave him a sympathetic smile when he saw what had captured Speed's attention. Speed took the beer and wasted no time in downing it, forgetting his earlier intention not to get loaded. Watching Calleigh with that guy was irritating him to no end and he wanted nothing more than to drown his sorrows right now.   
  
The song ended and Speed saw Calleigh look over at their table. Maybe she had had enough and was going to come back. Disappointment flooded his emotions when the next song started and he realized it was a much slower one this time. Calleigh's dance partner took that opportunity to pull Calleigh close to him and Speed bristled, feeling sick to his stomach as he watched someone else's fingers weave themselves through her long hair. He turned to Eric to see his reaction but he was on his way back to the dance floor with Cathy, who was leading him by the hand.   
  
Speed decided he had seen enough and decided to go and get another drink. To hell with saving the table. He got another beer and drank it sitting at the bar. He took his time and tried to calm down. Calleigh, Eric and him had gone out to the bar plenty of times and he'd seen guys flirt with Calleigh before. He'd even seen her flirt back and while he had never liked it, it had never pissed him off as much as it was tonight.   
  
Maybe he was off base when he thought there was a chance she had feelings for him. Speed decided that tonight was obviously not the night to talk about things. A woman with long dark hair sat down beside him and smiled shyly at him. Tim smiled back but turned away. She was cute but just wasn't Calleigh and right now she was the one on his mind.   
  
Ordering another beer, he took it back to their table and wasn't surprised to see that it had been taken. Looking out onto the dance floor he saw Eric and Cathy right away but Calleigh wasn't anywhere around. Glancing around him he couldn't see her and suddenly felt a little worried. Pushing his way through the crowd he approached Eric and Cathy.   
  
"Have you seen Calleigh?" He asked them. They both looked around, confused.  
  
"I thought she was dancing." Cathy replied and shot Eric a worried glance. It wasn't like Calleigh to take off with some strange guy and all of them knew it. "I'll go check in the ladies room. Maybe she went in there." Cathy took off through the crowd, leaving the guys standing alone in the mass of dancing bodies. They followed her and watched as she entered the bathroom.   
  
"Could she be outside?" Eric asked him, quickly scanning the crowd for any sign of their friend. "Who was that guy she was with?"  
  
"I don't know. All I know is that she was dancing with him when I went to get another drink and when I came back they were both gone. I can't see them anywhere." Speed responded, hoping that wherever she was, Calleigh was okay. It just didn't make sense that she would leave the bar with some guy she didn't even know. Cathy came back out of the bathroom alone, looking more worried than ever.  
  
"She's not there." She said, appearing close to tears. Eric put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"We're going to find her. Calleigh's smart and can take care of herself, don't worry." He assured her.  
  
"I know, it's just there are so many people here and I can't see Calleigh ditching us like this."  
  
"Let's not jump to conclusions, okay?" Speed said, sensibly. There was no way that Calleigh would leave with this guy, it just wasn't in her character. Especially to leave without telling any of them that she was going. "Why don't we split up and really look around the place. Eric, you can talk to the bouncers and see if she left with anyone. We'll meet back here in ten minutes, okay?" Cathy and Eric agreed and the three of them headed in different directions.   
  
Speed decided to go back into the crowd and see if he had just missed Calleigh the first time. The place was packed and he really had to push his way through to get anywhere. His frustration grew as he realized there was no sign of Calleigh or the guy anywhere. He walked around the bar several times, checking everywhere and was ready to give up when he finally spotted the familiar sight of her long blonde hair.   
  
She was at a table in a dark corner of the bar and as he got closer he realized that she wasn't alone. The guy was still with her and they were sitting very close as he whispered in her ear. He couldn't see her face but noticed the hand on her knee that was slowly inching its way up her thigh. She put her hand on his and his lips suddenly grabbed hers in a rough kiss. Calleigh shifted a bit and Speed could finally see her face as the kisses moved from her lips down to her neck. He couldn't believe this was happening. Now, when he finally knew that Calleigh was the one he wanted. Some other guy had his hands all over her and Speed just wondered why it couldn't be him.  
  
TBC.... 


	5. Things Are Not As They Seem

Temptation  
  
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.  
  
Speed felt absolutely sickened watching the sight unfold in front of him and was about to walk away when he realized the look on Calleigh's face was not one of passion. She was struggling and trying to push the guy away but he was a lot bigger than she was and obviously had no intention of backing off. Speed didn't hesitate for a moment and saw relief in Calleigh's eyes as she noticed him approaching. Trying to reign in his fury, Speed resisted punching the guy and opted instead to tap him on the shoulder. He stopped kissing Calleigh, who squirmed out of his grasp, and shot Speed a look of disdain. Speed stared right back at him as Calleigh came to stand beside him, giving him a grateful smile. The hurt and anger he'd been feeling toward her vanished with that smile.   
  
"Why didn't you just let her go, she's obviously not into you." Speed said, managing to keep his voice calm despite the fact that he wanted to scream at this guy.   
  
"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, standing up and facing Speed. "We were a little busy here." He was yelling into Speed's face and it was obvious from the smell of his breath and the slur of his speech that the guy was drunk. Before Speed could respond, he reached for Calleigh, snaking an arm around her waist and she shook her head at him, pushing his arm way.   
  
"Mike, stop. You've had too much to drink and I'm just not into this."  
  
"Come on baby," Mike responded, pulling Calleigh toward him. "I just want to have a good time. Let's get out of here."  
  
"Not a chance." She said, putting her hands on his chest and trying to push him away. Speed couldn't believe the nerve of this guy, mauling Calleigh right in front of him. People around them were starting to watch, noticing something was going on.  
  
"Look, you heard her. Leave her alone or I'll get you thrown out of here."  
  
"Go to hell." Mike yelled, his agitation growing.  
  
"Don't cause a scene, man. Just go quietly. You need to go home and sober up." Speed's professional side was taking over as he realized he wanted to handle this guy without getting physical. "I'll help you find a cab." Looking from Calleigh to Speed and noticing a few people standing nearby watching, Mike seemed to realize that he wasn't going to win this battle. He staggered away from them, nearly running into one of the bouncers. Speed was glad he wouldn't have to deal with him because it was taking all his willpower not to use his fists to knock some sense into the guy. He turned to Calleigh, who was shaking her head, a look of embarrassment on her face.  
  
"You okay?" He asked her, putting his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Yes. I just didn't see that coming at all. We were dancing and then he offered to buy me a drink so we headed over to the bar. He bought us some shots and then we went to sit down where it was a bit quieter so we could talk. I feel like an idiot now for not seeing how drunk he was."  
  
"Look, the guy obviously has a problem so don't worry about it." Speed knew Calleigh had had a few drinks herself, probably enough to impair her judgement so he honestly didn't blame her for what had happened.   
  
"I just wanted to have a good time tonight, Tim. I didn't think I'd have to fight off some guy trying to grope me. I just feel so stupid for going with him."  
  
"Well, you're okay and that's what's important. We can still have a good time. Let's go find Cathy and Eric, they're looking for you too."  
  
"Gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry all of you guys." Calleigh looked upset and Speed just wanted to pull her into his arms. "Maybe I should just go home."  
  
"No, Cal. You don't need to do that. Let's go find them and see what they want to do. Maybe we can go someplace else if you don't want to stay." He impulsively took her hand and led her through the crowd to the spot where he was to meet up with Cathy and Eric. They were both there waiting for him and looked relieved to see Calleigh.   
  
"Oh honey, I'm glad you're alright. What happened?" Cathy asked her, giving her a hug.  
  
"I'm fine. Everything's okay. I was just having a drink on the other side of the bar. We'll talk about it later, okay?" Cathy nodded, understanding that Calleigh wasn't comfortable talking about it right now.   
  
"So, are you guys into staying or do you want to go someplace else?" Speed asked, not sure what he wanted to do himself.  
  
"I wouldn't mind staying." Delko admitted. "The music is pretty good. I'm cool with anything though, if you guys are ready to leave."  
  
"I think we should stay longer." Cathy said, with a questioning glance in Calleigh's direction. "I'm loving the music and I think we should all just let loose and dance."  
  
"Okay. Let's stay then." Calleigh agreed, much to Speed's relief. He didn't want to let one jackass ruin a night they'd all been looking forward to. Cathy took Calleigh by the hand and motioning for Eric and Speed to follow, they headed back onto the dance floor.   
  
The next few songs were upbeat and Speed found them pretty easy to dance to. He'd never felt all that comfortable when he went out dancing but he really liked this music and found that helped a lot. The smile was back on Calleigh's face and she seemed to be enjoying the music too. Speed loved to watch her dance and admired the way she gave her body over to the rhythm of the music.   
  
The four of them danced in a group for awhile before Cathy and Eric moved away a little so that they were facing each other, leaving Calleigh and Speed to dance together. Cathy smiled and winked at Speed then turned her attention back to Eric. Speed wondered what that was all about. Was he really that obvious in his feelings for Calleigh? Then again, Cathy and Eric seemed to have bonded pretty quickly so maybe Eric had mentioned something to her. Speed made a mental note to talk to him about that later. Calleigh smiled at him when she saw Cathy and Eric go off on their own.  
  
"Those two seem to be hitting it off." He said to her and she nodded.  
  
"I'm glad too. I'm sure Cathy can use a distraction from her everyday life." Calleigh answered, leaning close to him as she spoke. "And Eric's a good guy. I know he's not going to try anything tonight." Speed agreed because even though they gave Eric a hard time about his dating habits sometimes, they both knew that there was no way he would take advantage of Cathy when she was feeling vulnerable.  
  
"That's true, he won't. Who knows, though? Maybe this will be the start of a beautiful relationship." Speed said, grinning at her. Calleigh smiled back, and they looked to the stage as the band finished their song and announced they were taking a little break before starting their final set.   
  
"Hey, do you mind going outside with me for a few minutes? I could really use some fresh air." Calleigh asked him, putting a hand on his arm.   
  
"I don't mind at all." Speed replied, anxious to be alone with Calleigh and glad that she was the one who suggested it. "Let's tell Cathy and Eric where we're going." They approached their friends, who had moved to a nearby table and were engaged in what appeared to be a very intense discussion. They didn't even notice Speed and Calleigh approach until Calleigh spoke up.  
  
"Hey, sorry to interrupt but we're just going to go outside for a bit of fresh air, okay?" She smiled, obviously pleased that they were getting to know each other better.  
  
"Everything okay?" Delko asked them curiously.   
  
"Oh, everything's good. We'll be back in a few minutes." Speed assured them. Calleigh led the way to the coat check and Speed took the coats from her, holding hers out and helping her ease into it. He gently pulled her hair out from under her collar and couldn't resist running his fingers through its length as he did. Calleigh thanked him as they stepped out into the cool night air. There was a bench down the street and Calleigh walked over to it, sitting down and taking a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment as she did. Speed sat down beside her and felt a moment of concern, wondering if Calleigh was feeling okay. Before he could ask her though, she opened her eyes and smiled at him.  
  
"I need to thank you, Tim." She said, looking into his eyes. He didn't say anything, waiting for her to finish and letting himself get lost in the blueness of her eyes. "If you hadn't come along when you did I don't know what I would have done."  
  
"You would have handled him, I have no doubt about that, Cal." Tim said, taking one of her hands in his and giving it a gentle squeeze.  
  
"I know, but if you hadn't come to my rescue things might have gotten pretty ugly. I'm just feeling a little foolish about the whole thing and I know it was my fault. I'm just glad things turned out the way they did."  
  
"How can you say it was your fault? From what I saw, you didn't ask for him to touch you." Speed said, hoping she would agree. He couldn't bear the thought of Calleigh being the instigator of what he had witnessed between her and Mike.   
  
"No, I didn't but I did go with him to that table. I let him touch me when we were dancing and I guess I was giving him all the wrong signals. I was having a great time dancing and when I drink sometimes I come off as flirty without intending to." She said, looking down at the ground. Speed took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up until her gaze locked with his again.  
  
"None of that matters, Calleigh. When you told him to stop he should have backed off, whether you were flirting or not." Speed said gently, amazed that she could think so little of herself. "That guy was an ass so don't blame yourself for his actions."  
  
"But I went with him. I know damn well that many people go to the clubs just to find someone to go home with but I let myself think that maybe this guy was different. I can't believe I was so naive." Calleigh shook her head in disgust and leaned back against the bench, closing her eyes again.  
  
"Are you feeling okay, Calleigh?"  
  
"I've had a bit too much too drink, I guess. I don't feel buzzed at all anymore but I do feel a little sick. I'll be okay, though." Calleigh replied, not opening her eyes. Speed put his arm around her and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm really glad you're here with me, Tim."  
  
"There's no place else I'd rather be right now." He responded softly, just wishing there was something he could do to make her feel better, both physically and emotionally. They sat together in silence for awhile and Speed loved the feel of her head resting on his shoulder. Just being here with her was enough for him right now.   
  
After what had happened tonight the last thing she needed was him declaring his feelings for her so he was happy enough just to be in her company, hearing the soft sound of her breathing and wondering what she was thinking about right now.   
  
There were surprisingly few people on the street outside Silver's right now so the setting was pretty peaceful. Calleigh sighed and opened her eyes, looking up at him.  
  
"You know what? Sometimes I'm surprised at how screwed up my life has become." She admitted, looking sadder than Speed had ever seen her before.  
  
"Why do you say that?" He asked her, surprised at her confession. From the outside, her life looked pretty good. She had a job she was awesome at and good friends who loved her.   
  
"I'm just so alone." She answered, her eyes filling up with unshed tears. "All I seem to do lately is work and sleep, I'm tired of it."  
  
"You're not alone, Calleigh." Speed assured her.   
  
"I know you're here and I've got other good friends too. I appreciate that but I guess I just want more. I always figured that by the time I was thirty I wouldn't be alone anymore--it's just depressing to think I might still be at clubs being hit on by random guys when I'm thirty." Speed had to smile at that comment. He was approaching thirty himself and could totally relate to what she was saying.  
  
"Believe me, I know what you mean. I'm turning thirty next year and can't believe how little my life has changed in the last decade. Sure, I've got a great career going but my personal life hasn't changed all that much."  
  
"Do you want it to?" Calleigh asked him curiously.  
  
"Of course. I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone. I wouldn't mind settling down in the next few years, having a family." Calleigh smiled knowingly at him.  
  
"Yeah, most guys do, these days." She sat up and dug around in her purse for a tissue and Speed wondered if she was going to elaborate on that comment or leave him hanging, wondering what she meant by that. This woman was an ever-changing mystery to him these days and he would give anything to know what was going on inside her head.  
  
TBC  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, hope you like this one too... 


	6. Secrets and Lies

Temptation  
  
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.  
  
Calleigh sighed and looked into his eyes but didn't say another word.  
  
"What makes you say that, Calleigh?"   
  
"Well, most people our age are starting to settle down and have children and if they haven't yet it just means they haven't found the right person. I know it's going to be hard to find a man who's looking for the same things I am."  
  
"What exactly, is that?" Speed was curious to know and hoped Calleigh would be straight with him.  
  
"I just want someone to grow old with and enjoy life with. Just the two of us."  
  
"Why is that so difficult?" Speed couldn't imagine any man not wanting share a life with Calleigh.  
  
"I told you I don't want children and that doesn't seem to fit into the life plans of most of the guys I've gone out with. They pretty much all want to have children someday and can't accept the fact that I don't."  
  
"Maybe it's your reasoning they can't accept." Speed told her and she looked away from him, studying her hands instead. He had been totally floored the other night, knowing there had to be more to it than what she would admit. Calleigh seemed like a natural with children and was such a loving person he couldn't imagine her not wanting to experience motherhood.   
  
"I know it sounds lame but it's hard for me to really explain my why I feel the way I do. Rather than dragging up the past, it's sometimes just easier for me to say that it's a cruel, cruel world and I don't want to bring any children into it. Who can argue with me there?"  
  
"No one can argue with that but most people can overlook it when they think about having kids. I think having children is kind of like becoming immortal. Our children and their children's children are a legacy I think most people want to leave on this earth. At least, that's how I feel." Calleigh looked at him in surprise.  
  
"I can't believe how much thought you've put into it, Tim."   
  
"I have. I really want to have kids someday, for so many reasons. I just think it would be so great to have children with someone I love."  
  
"It would be." Calleigh agreed quietly, looking hesitantly into Speed's eyes. "I wasn't totally honest with you the other night, Tim. But there's something I want to tell you so you'll know where I'm coming from..." She seemed torn over what to say next but biting her bottom lip before she spoke, she continued. "I always thought I would have children and couldn't wait to find the right guy and get married. I was looking forward to having a career but wanted a family too. I actually fooled myself into thinking I could have both." She said, dabbing at fresh tears with her tissue.  
  
Speed wanted to hear the rest of it but it hurt him to see her talk about something that obviously caused her so much pain.  
  
"When I was twenty-one I was in university and dating a guy who was a couple years older than me. Things were going pretty great between Jeff and I when I discovered I was pregnant." Calleigh looked at Tim for a reaction and he tried not to let the shock he felt show on his face. He hadn't been expecting a bombshell like this. He put a reassuring hand on hers and urged her to continue.  
  
"I was pretty devastated at first because I was eager to earn my degree before I thought about starting a family but Jeff got excited when I told him and his excitement was contagious. He proposed marriage and although I wasn't thrilled about following in my parents' footsteps of having a shotgun wedding, I accepted. I was in love with him and wanted to be with him."   
  
Calleigh was silent for a moment before her face crumpled and she choked back a sob. Speed's heart went out to her and he put an arm around her as she took a deep breath and continued in a shaky voice.  
  
"I was about four months pregnant and we were a week away from our wedding when I lost the baby." Calleigh said, letting the tears fall as Speed held onto her shaking body and stroked her hair.   
  
"I'm so sorry, Cal. What went wrong?" Speed asked, when the sobs quieted down. He hadn't been expecting such an emotional confession from Calleigh but was glad to finally know what she had been hiding all this time.  
  
"I don't know. I had tried to be so careful, doing everything I could to have a healthy baby but the doctor said that sometimes it just isn't meant to be. What kind of a reason is that?" Calleigh asked, in frustrated sadness.  
  
"Sometimes there is no reason." Speed said gently.  
  
"I was working in the lab in class one day when I started having awful cramps. I knew something wasn't right and I was so scared when I realized I was bleeding. An ambulance was called and Jeff met me at the hospital. They did an ultrasound and discovered the baby had already died so they performed a D & C to remove the fetus." Calleigh said, looking at Tim with tear-filled eyes.  
  
"I never got to meet my baby and didn't know if it was a boy or a girl but I have thought about that child so many times. I sometimes imagine that it was a little girl and she was so beautiful, Tim. I loved that baby so much and losing her was the most painful thing I've ever had to go through. I decided that I was never going to put myself through that again."  
  
"There's no reason to think it would happen again, Calleigh." Speed said, not wanting to upset her more but wishing she wouldn't deny herself the joy of children just because she'd lost one once.  
  
"There's no reason to think it wouldn't, either." Calleigh insisted.  
  
"Did you get checked out by a doctor to make sure you were okay?"   
  
"Of course. And they found nothing wrong, no reason why I couldn't carry a child to term. But it doesn't matter. Losing a child before birth hurt so badly that I couldn't imagine what it would be like give birth to a child and then have some tragedy take her from you. I couldn't handle it."  
  
"It would be awful." Tim agreed. "But so many women have miscarriages and if they all decided not to have children then the human race would be in jeopardy." He said reasonably.   
  
"I guess I'm selfish then." Calleigh said to him. "Jeff thought so. He refused to understand why I wouldn't marry him and get pregnant again."  
  
"So you broke up."  
  
"We did. I know that I was partly responsible for pushing him away but he was a constant reminder of what I'd lost and I just didn't want to think about it anymore. Jeff was out of my life within three months and I buried myself in school, trying to forget what had happened. I had been so happy for awhile but I should have known it was too good to last."  
  
"You'll be happy again someday, Calleigh." She looked at him doubtfully but he pulled her into a hug and she hugged him back with all her might. She might not ever find happiness with him but the fact that she had confided in him gave him a hope that hadn't been there before. "You deserve happiness more than anyone." Calleigh pulled out of his embrace and smiled at him.  
  
"You're just too good to me, Tim. I don't know what I'd do without you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and stood up, as he tried to control his response to the kiss. It had just been a peck on the cheek but his heart was racing and all he wanted to do was pull Calleigh into his arms and feel her lips on his.   
  
"I'm really glad you told me this, Calleigh." He said, standing beside her and holding both her hands in his own. He had forgotten where they were and what they were doing there. All that mattered was Calleigh.  
  
"I am too. I don't talk about it enough, really. I went to see a grief counselor after it happened and it's been seven years but there are times when the feelings are still so raw...I don't know if they'll ever heal." She looked so vulnerable right now and Speed couldn't resist pulling her into his arms again. Calleigh came to him willingly and he kissed the top of her head.  
  
"The feelings will probably always be there, Calleigh but don't be afraid to talk about them if you need to. I'm here for you, okay?"   
  
"Thanks Tim." Calleigh said, her voice muffled by his chest. Speed wished he could hold her like this forever but he knew that Eric and Cathy were inside, probably wondering what was taking them so long. Calleigh's admission tonight hadn't made him feel any differently about her, if anything, it just made his feelings for her even stronger.   
  
"Anytime, Calleigh. How are you feeling now? Are you ready to go back inside to hear the last set?" He asked her, as she pulled away from him and straightened her dress.   
  
"Sure. I'm feeling better but I think I'll get some water when we get back inside. No more booze for me tonight." She answered, smiling at him. She linked her arm through his and they walked back into Silver's.  
  
The four of them spent the rest of the night dancing and before they knew it, the bartenders were announcing last call and the band was playing their final song. The final song turned out to be a dedication to some newly engaged friends of one of the band members and as Speed watched Eric put his arms around Cathy, who willingly came closer he wondered if he would be so lucky to dance this song with Calleigh.   
  
Before he could contemplate any further Calleigh was in his arms, her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. He slid his arms around her waist, his hands lingering on the small of her back and he realized that this was what he had been wanting all night. Just to feel Calleigh's body close to his, not in sorrow or even happiness but just there because they both wanted it to be.  
  
They didn't speak at all during that last song, Speed didn't know what was going through Calleigh's mind as their bodies moved to the music but it was taking all of his willpower not to crush her against him and finally kiss her lips. Doing that was out of the question right now though because of where they were and also because of Calleigh's tearful confession earlier. He would bide his time until she was in a more peaceful state of mind and they were both sober. It would be harder to work up the nerve then but it would also be easier to say what was on his mind when it wasn't clouded by alcohol.  
  
When the music stopped and everyone was applauding the band, Calleigh didn't pull away. Instead she kept her arms around his neck and looked Speed in the eye, giving him a small smile. She was absolutely killing him and he was almost sure, by the way she was looking at him, that she must have some inkling as to her effect on him.  
  
"Are you okay?" She asked him when he didn't smile back. He had tried but he was so distracted by her that he could only think of one thing right now.  
  
"Calleigh, you're driving me crazy, do you know that?" He said, resulting in a confused look from his dance partner.  
  
"What do you mean?" Speed was saved from trying to come up with a coherent response when Cathy and Eric came over to the two of them.   
  
"Hey you two." Eric said, with his eyebrows raised at their lingering embrace. Calleigh pulled away from Speed then and he could see a blush forming on her cheeks. "Are you ready to head out?"  
  
"Sure." Speed answered. I just want to say hi to Nick first though." Nick was already approaching them and Speed congratulated his friend on a great show. He introduced Nick to his friends then and after he did Calleigh and Cathy excused themselves for a moment to go to the ladies room. Speed would have loved to be a fly on the wall in that room and from the look on Eric's face as he watched them walk away he felt the same way.   
  
He and Nick made small talk for a few minutes and then he left to mingle in the crowd before everyone took off to various after-parties.   
  
"So what's up with you and Calleigh? And don't say nothing because I know that's something's going on."  
  
"I wish I knew." Speed said, knowing that wasn't what Delko wanted to hear but not feeling up to explaining everything that was going through his mind right now.   
  
"She's into you, Speed. Don't have any doubts about that." Delko said, causing Speed to look at him in surprise. "Haven't you seen the way she looks at you? I think it's pretty obvious. To the rest of us anyhow. I don't know what happened with that guy tonight but you seem to be the one on Calleigh's mind right now."  
  
"Calleigh definitely wasn't interested in that guy. Her feelings for me, I don't know. Nothing's clear to me when it comes to Calleigh." Speed admitted, as he spotted the two women coming out of the restroom. It was true, being around Calleigh left him unable to judge anything. One moment he was sure she had feelings for him and the next he was sure she didn't and that he had just been imagining things. It was a relief to hear that Delko thought Calleigh was interested in him too.  
  
"So, are you guys ready to go?" Cathy asked. "I can give you a ride home if you want since I haven't had a drop of alcohol all night." She said, a bit regretfully.  
  
"How come?" Speed asked. He knew she had been drinking and had assumed it had been alcohol. It just proved how distracted he'd been all evening.  
  
"One of the joys of motherhood, I guess." Cathy said with a smile. "I'm still breast-feeding so alcohol is a no-no, I'm afraid."  
  
"It's good for us though because we don't have to cab home now." Calleigh said. "So how has it been, hanging out with a bunch of drunk people, Cath?"   
  
"Actually, it's been great and I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime." She answered, with a glance Eric's way. He smiled at her and his gaze held hers for a moment.  
  
"Soon, I hope." He said.  
  
"I hope so too. It's just a matter of finding a babysitter." Cathy said, as the four of them headed for the exit. "I can't leave her with Alex all the time."  
  
"Cathy, I wasn't kidding when I said I would baby sit so if you ever want to go out on a date or something...." Calleigh said with a teasing grin.  
  
"Thanks, Calleigh. I may take you up on that." Cathy said, shaking her head as Calleigh laughed at the expression on Delko's face. If it was obvious to Delko that Speed had feelings for Calleigh than it was even more obvious that after only one night together, Eric had a bit of a crush on the southern redheaded beauty walking arm and arm with Calleigh.   
  
TBC...  
  
As always, please leave feedback...I'd love to know what you all think of this one 


	7. A Storm is Brewing

Temptation  
  
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.  
  
A/N: This part is for Yana, who nicely asked for another chapter tonight and who is constantly writing awesome stories that inspire me to write more.  
  
The four of them went outside and the women led the way to the car, talking and laughing non-stop as Delko and Speed trailed behind them.   
  
"So, what do you think they're talking about?" Speed asked his friend.  
  
"I don't think that's too hard to figure out, since they keep looking back at us." Delko answered, smiling as Cathy looked over at him again.  
  
"You really like her, don't you?"  
  
"She's caught my interest." Eric answered with a smile. "I definitely want to get to know her better, yeah." They reached Cathy's car and Calleigh was already sitting in the backseat so Speed got in beside her and Delko rode shotgun.   
  
They were all pretty quiet on the ride home. It was late and everyone was tired. Delko's place was the first stop and as he directed Cathy through the streets to his apartment Speed stole a glance at Calleigh. She was staring out the car window and Speed wondered what she was thinking about.   
  
It had been quite a night for her, what with that jerk groping her in the corner and then the tearful revelation about her past. It hadn't exactly gone the way he'd expected or hoped. He was glad that she had confided in him though. It was a step in the right direction.  
  
Cathy pulled up in front of Eric's building and he said a quick goodnight to Speed and Calleigh before getting out of the car.   
  
"Hang tight you guys. I'll be right back." Cathy said, getting out of the still running car. Speed and Calleigh exchanged a smile as Cathy walked with Eric to the entrance of his building and they stood there talking and laughing.   
  
"Awww. Aren't they cute together?" Calleigh said with a smug smile.  
  
"Yes Miss Matchmaker, they are." Speed agreed, smiling at Calleigh's obvious delight that her friends were hitting it off so well.  
  
"Well, I just want them to be happy. Cathy's been so lonely with just her and the baby. I know she's not ready for a relationship yet but male companionship is a good start..."  
  
"What about you Calleigh?" Speed asked, knowing he was skating on thin ice at this point. She turned her gaze from Cathy and Eric back to Speed and he could see the confusion in her eyes.   
  
"What about me?" She asked him, staring into his eyes with such intensity that he wanted to squirm.  
  
"Well, instead of worrying about setting up your friends maybe you should be going out and having fun yourself." Speed responded. He was definitely fishing, wondering what Calleigh's response would be.  
  
"What is it we've been doing tonight?" She asked in a teasing tone.  
  
"So you had a good time then? Even though that guy tried to...."  
  
"Actually, I'm going to try and erase that part from my memory. I was with all of you so of course I had a good time." Calleigh said, and Speed could tell she didn't want to talk about her run-in with Mike.  
  
"Well, I'm glad."   
  
"How about you, Tim? Did you have fun?" Calleigh said, her eyes boring into him.  
  
"I wish we could do it even more often, Cal." He admitted, hoping she knew how much he meant it. Calleigh narrowed her eyes at him thoughtfully and was about to respond when Cathy came back into the car, smiling from ear to ear.   
  
"So, are you going to see each other soon?" Calleigh asked teasingly.  
  
"Actually, since you asked, we are." Cathy declared. "By the way, would you like to baby-sit Sunday night?" She asked Calleigh with a smile before pulling the car away from the curb.  
  
"Sunday, huh?"   
  
"Yes, we're going to go out for dinner. Someplace we can have a decent conversation because we'll actually be able to hear each other." Cathy answered.  
  
"I'd love to watch Melissa, Cathy. What time do you want me to be there?"  
  
"Can you come around five? Then I can get your opinion on my outfit and I'll still have time to change if I need to."   
  
"Oh Cath, you always look great so I don't think there's any danger of that."  
  
"Hey, I'm still trying to recover my figure since having Melissa." Cathy insisted. "Thanks for the boost to my ego though." She said with a laugh. Speed was silent through this exchange and was glad that Cathy and Eric were going out again. When Calleigh agreed to look after Melissa an idea came to him and he realized that their friends' date might actually give him the opportunity he'd been waiting for.  
  
"Thanks for the ride, Cathy." Speed said, before he opened the door to get out.   
  
"My pleasure." Cathy answered. "It was good to see you again, Tim." She said with a smile.  
  
"You too. Good-night." Calleigh got out too, announcing she was going to move into the front with Cathy and came around to Speed's side of the car as he closed the door.   
  
"Thanks again for listening tonight, Tim."  
  
"I'm just glad I could be there for you. You're really important to me, Calleigh." Speed said, trying to sound casual but looking into her eyes as he said it. Calleigh hugged him in response and they held each other for a moment before she pulled back.  
  
"So you're babysitting Melissa Sunday night, huh?"  
  
"Sounds that way. I'm looking forward to it, though." Calleigh admitted.   
  
"Well, if you want some company or need a hand, call me, okay?"   
  
"You want to help me baby-sit?" Calleigh asked, somewhat incredulously.  
  
"Hey, I know a thing or two about kids." Speed said, "It might be fun and it's not like I've got any plans on a Sunday night."  
  
"You're right, it probably would be fun. Why don't we talk more tomorrow?"  
  
"Great." Speed said, trying to conceal just how happy he was that she had agreed. He just wanted to spend time with her and didn't really care where they were or what they did. "Sleep well, Calleigh."  
  
"You too. I'll call you tomorrow." Calleigh agreed. "Good-night Tim." She smiled at him as she got back into the car and Speed saw so much promise in that smile that he felt happier than he had in years.  
  
"Good-night Calleigh."   
  
Speed slept in late the next morning, waking up with a bit of a hangover but nothing could put a damper on his spirits. He was going to tell Calleigh how he felt about her, put his heart on the line and with that decision it was like a weight had been lifted.   
  
He hoped to hear from her but wasn't going to spend his time waiting for the phone to ring either. Weekends were something Speed seldom took advantage of, since they were a great time to catch on things at the lab. Not always, but often, he found himself getting lost in his work at CSI for a couple of hours on his days off.   
  
He knew he was a workaholic but he enjoyed it and right now it was nice to have something useful to do to pass the time. Speed took a quick shower and then headed to the lab, deciding to get the work over with earlier rather than later.  
  
Speed ended up spending most of the day at the lab, working and checking his messages about every half-hour to see if Calleigh had called. His heart ached with disappointment, as each time the recorded voice echoed in his ear, telling him he had no new messages. He mentally chided himself for being so obsessive about her but he just couldn't help it. He was glad that no one was around to question why he kept checking his messages.   
  
Part of him was afraid that she wouldn't call him and then the plan that was forming in his mind would be shot to hell. He wanted to spend Sunday evening helping her with Melissa and then he would invite her out later, just the two of them. Even if Cathy didn't end up getting home until late, there would still be time for the two of them to escape somewhere alone.  
  
He couldn't wait until the next night and he got butterflies in his stomach whenever he thought of giving into the feelings he had for Calleigh. He'd been in denial for so long but he knew he couldn't stay there forever. Something had to give.  
  
As Speed walked out into the parking lot and mounted his bike, he noticed that the sky was very dark and stormy looking. This was his favorite kind of weather. When he was a little kid he had never been afraid of thunder and lightening. He found it exciting then and even now, the thought of a big storm brewing gave him a bit of a thrill.   
  
Calleigh still hadn't called so he decided that instead of going back to his apartment and staring at his phone, he would just go for a ride, enjoying the fresh smell of an oncoming storm that hung in the air.  
  
He had no particular destination in mind as he sped along, going wherever the road might take him. After a half-hour, he ended up at the ocean. Parking his bike, he heard thunder rumbling in the distance. It was starting to rain lightly and the beach was deserted, just the way he liked it.  
  
The wind whipped his clothes as Speed walked along the beach until he found a piece of driftwood to sit on. He looked at the dark sky and the ferocity of the waves out on the ocean and found the setting surprisingly peaceful. He sat there for quite awhile, watching the waves crash against the huge rocks on the beach as the tide came in.  
  
It was nice to have the chance to put things in perspective when it came to his life. Up until this past week Speed had been a fairly content person. Now all of sudden he was eager for things to change. Someone who had been a friend for quite awhile had now become so important to him and he wanted her in his life in a much bigger way.  
  
He heard the thunder again, much closer this time and saw lightening flash in the sky in the distance. It was spectacular to watch and Speed sat on the beach watching the lightening show, suddenly wishing that Calleigh could be there beside him, sharing the experience.  
  
The cell phone in his pocket rang then and his heart raced as he saw Calleigh's number on the display. Speed smiled as he answered, and he realized they had been thinking of each other at the same moment.   
  
"Hey Calleigh."  
  
"Hey you. Are you enjoying the thunder and lightening?" She asked, and Speed could tell she was smiling too.   
  
"Actually, I'm in the thick of it. I love storms."  
  
"I do too. Where are you?"  
  
"I'm at the ocean, there's a great view of the lightening at this beach I found."  
  
"Well, just be careful, okay? Don't get caught in a lightening storm." Calleigh's voice had a serious tone now, causing his smile to widen.  
  
"I'm probably going to get drenched here soon but apart from that, I've got a great view." Speed was touched by Calleigh's obvious concern for him but decided not to call her on it. "You should be here, it looks amazing.  
  
"I don't know. I like storms too, but I prefer to watch them from the safety of my own patio, thanks. I don't really like the thought of being outside when there's thunder and lightening." She said doubtfully.  
  
"Someday I'll change your mind about that Calleigh." He said, wishing that day could be today.  
  
"Is that a promise?" She asked, in a slightly teasing tone.  
  
"Consider it done." Speed assured her.  
  
"So, tomorrow night..." Calleigh said.  
  
"Are we still on?"  
  
"If you're coming to help me baby-sit then the answer is yes."   
  
"I wouldn't miss it."  
  
"Great. Eric's going to be picking Cath up around 6 so I was thinking that you and I should do dinner. Cathy told me we could cook something up in her kitchen but I was thinking it might be better to order in or something."  
  
"Why don't I just bring food with me?" Speed asked, as a loud clap of thunder sounded nearby. The lightening lit up the darkening sky and he decided he should probably head home. He was starting to feel a bit cold with the combination of the wind and the light rain.  
  
"Tim, that sounded a little too close." Calleigh said worriedly. "Maybe you should get out of there and go home."  
  
"It was pretty close, which is why I'm walking back to my bike as we speak." Speed answered.  
  
"Okay. Good. Anyhow, I would love it if you brought dinner, it would make things easier."  
  
"No problem. What do you like?"  
  
"Anything. I'm not too picky."  
  
"Great. Listen, I should let you go since I'm about to start the engine here."  
  
"Why don't you call me later so I can give you directions to Cathy's place, then? Actually, on second thought, where are you headed right now?" Speed's heart skipped a beat as he realized what Calleigh might be about to ask him.  
  
"I was just going to go home. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Why don't you come over to my place, I'm making dinner right now and since you treated me the other night...well, I'd love to return the favor." Speed was overwhelmed by the idea of seeing her tonight that he didn't answer right away. "Unless you've got other plans..." Calleigh said, sensing his hesitation.  
  
"No, I'd love it." He said quickly. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."  
  
"See you then." Calleigh hung up first and Speed was nervous and elated as he pocketed his cell and started up his bike. He sped off, as the thunder boomed in the distance and the sky opened up, drenching him. The roads were pretty slick and Speed took extra care maneuvering his bike along the curvy road.   
  
Waiting at the red light at an intersection four blocks from Calleigh's place, Speed was glad the rain had let up a bit. As much as he liked the storm and the rain that went with it, he didn't want to show up at Calleigh's looking like a drowned rat.   
  
Speed wondered what Calleigh had made for dinner but he knew whatever it was, it would be delicious. Calleigh often brought goodies into work for everyone, she was generous that way. It was just another reason he cared about her so much, he thought, as the light turned green and he entered the intersection.   
  
He never saw the black mustang run the red light. The last thing he saw as he was being thrown from his bike was Calleigh, sitting across the table from him as they had dinner together. Speed realized that he might never be able to have dinner or anything else with Calleigh. Then everything went black.   
  
I know I'm evil to leave it like this but this was a plot twist even I didn't see coming. I'll have more posted soon, depending on what the reaction is to this chapter. Your feedback is what inspires me to write more.... 


	8. Temptation

Temptation  
  
See Part 1 for Disclaimers, etc.  
  
Dedication: This is for Everyone who reviewed this story. You know who you are and I always appreciate your thoughts....  
  
A/N: I may do a sequel someday, if I'm so inspired...please let me know what you think of this one   
  
The pain in his head was intense, unlike anything he'd ever felt. He tried to remember what had happened to cause the pain but it wouldn't come to him. All he could think of was that he was on his way to Calleigh's and then something had happened. But what was it?   
  
The fact that he could feel pain was a small comfort because it meant that he was alive at least. He hadn't been ready to die, there was still too much he wanted to do so unless he was in his own special hell, the pounding in his head meant he was breathing if nothing else. Speed opened his eyes slowly, his head throbbing and his ribs tender as he struggled to sit up. A gentle hand went to his shoulder, trying to prevent him from sitting. He gave up and lay back down in defeat.  
  
"He's waking up! Get the doctor." An excited voice Speed recognized as Megan's sounded in his ear and he wondered where he was. His vision, while blurry at first, was slowly coming into focus. His head hurt like hell. Megan was beside him, holding his hand, her brown eyes full of worry. "Don't try to sit up yet. How do you feel, Tim?"  
  
"Like shit." He admitted, looking around the room. Horatio was there, looking extremely relieved "What happened?"   
  
"You were in an accident." Horatio answered. "Can you remember anything?" Tim thought for a moment and then he remembered that he had been going to meet Calleigh at her place for dinner. Now he was in a hospital bed with a bandaged head, a cast on his left arm and an I.V. hooked up to his right.  
  
"Calleigh. I was on my way to her place. That's all I remember." He said. "Is she here?" The need to see Calleigh was very strong right now, he remembered thinking he wouldn't ever see her again.  
  
"We sent her home a few hours ago. She needed some sleep---she's barely left your side since it happened." Horatio responded.  
  
"How long have I been here?" Speed asked her, as a doctor entered the room, followed by Eric and Alexx, both of whom looked like they hadn't slept in days. The doctor checked him over and told him he was very lucky. He'd broken his right arm, a few ribs and had a concussion but his helmet and the fact that high speed hadn't been involved had definitely helped.   
  
He asked Speed a few questions to ascertain whether there or not there had been any memory loss as a result of his concussion and was satisfied that everything was normal. Telling him to get lots of rest and cheerfully instructing his visitors to keep the chaos to a minimum, the doctor left the room.  
  
"So, how long have I been in here?" He asked Megan again.  
  
"Two days." Speed opened his mouth in shock.   
  
"Whoa. I wasn't expecting that. So, what happened to me? I just can't remember."  
  
"You were hit by a drunk driver, man. Forty-year-old woman ran a red light and you were thrown off your bike." Delko answered. Speed shook his head, searching his memory for the moment he was hit. It just wasn't happening and maybe that was for the best. "Listen, I'd better go call Calleigh and let her know you're awake. I'll be right back, okay?" Speed nodded, glad that Delko was going to tell her. He didn't want her to be worried anymore.  
  
He appreciated the support of his other friends but the thought that he'd nearly died without getting the chance to tell Calleigh how he felt about her was heavy on his mind.  
  
"I can't remember being hit...just the moments before it happened. Can any of you tell me what went down?" Speed asked, curious to know more details.  
  
"As you entered the intersection you were hit immediately by a vehicle coming from the opposite direction. The driver clearly ran a red light and after hitting you she hit a telephone pole." Horatio said.  
  
"Is she okay?" Speed asked. Horatio shook his head and Speed winced. Despite the fact that the woman had landed him in the hospital he'd been hoping for a different answer.  
  
"One of the witnesses to the accident called 9-1-1 and she was pronounced dead at the scene. You had your work I.D. on you so I got a call as you were on route to the hospital." Horatio continued, "They couldn't give me any information over the phone so I got here as quickly as I could and once I knew you were stable I called everyone from here. Calleigh had been worried sick. She'd been trying to call your cell so when you didn't answer she feared the worst."  
  
"I know she must have been worried, she knew I was out in stormy weather. Of course, this had nothing to do with the weather." Speed said. Alexx came over to him then and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"I'm so glad you're okay, Tim. I'd better get home to my kids but call me if you need anything, okay?"   
  
"Thanks Alexx. I think the only thing I really need now is sleep. My head is still pounding." Speed answered wearily. It was true. The headache had gotten worse since he'd woken up and his ribs were sore too, making breathing a bit more difficult than normal.  
  
"Get lots of rest, Tim. The rest of you too." Alexx said as she left the room, passing Eric on his way back in.  
  
"Calleigh's on her way over. I told her you were okay and she should just sleep some more but she insisted, so..."   
  
"Listen, I think you should take Alexx's advice, Speed. We all should." Horatio said, looking at Megan. "Let's all go get some rest, okay?" Megan nodded and lovingly put her hand on the side of Speed's face, kissing his forehead softly. He smiled at her, finding comfort in her somewhat motherly concern.  
  
"I'll be back first thing in the morning, Tim. Is there anything you need?"   
  
"Not that I can think of right now but thanks for the offer, Megan." Horatio and Megan said goodnight, leaving Speed and Delko alone in the room.  
  
"This has all been like a nightmare, Tim. It seemed like you were never going to wake up but I knew you'd pull through. You had to." Delko said, more serious than Speed had ever seen him.  
  
"Yeah, I've got some unfinished business here. There's no way I could check out yet." Speed replied with a smile.  
  
"Well, I'm glad. I don't know what I'd do without you, man." Delko said, clearing his throat. Speed was sure he saw tears well up in his friend's eyes but Delko quickly switched gears, his face breaking into a grin. "Speaking of unfinished business, yours should be here in about ten minutes. I think I'll head home too so you two have no distractions. I'll see you tomorrow."   
  
"Funny guy." Speed said sarcastically as Delko laughed and ducked out of the room. It dawned on Speed that this accident of his had really disrupted everyone's lives. Cathy and Eric likely didn't have their date and H, Megan, Alexx, Calleigh and Eric had spent most of the last three days here by his side from the sound of things. The fact that they had all been there for him gave him some comfort as he closed his eyes for a moment, wishing that the pain in his head would lessen a bit. The fatigue was overwhelming and he didn't even try to fight it as he gave into sleep.  
  
He was dreaming of Calleigh. The two of them were at the beach he'd found the day of the storm and were locked in a passionate embrace. Lightening lit up the sky as Calleigh lowered herself onto the sand, pulling Speed on top of her.   
  
He kissed her neck, reveling in the feeling of her soft skin against his lips. She moaned his name as he worked his way lower and he wondered if maybe he really had died and this was heaven. Calleigh said his name again, even louder this time but her voice seemed to come from someplace else. Confused, Speed stopped kissing her and realized she'd disappeared and he was alone on the beach.   
  
"Tim!" She said his name again and he looked around, confused, as thunder boomed overhead and lightening flashed, hitting a tree about twenty feet away from where he was on the beach. The light was blinding and he closed his eyes as pain erupted behind them. "Tim, wake up, you're dreaming." He felt a cool hand gently brush his forehead and opened his eyes to see Calleigh's tear-filled ones staring back at him.  
  
"Hey you. How are you feeling?" Calleigh asked, gently brushing her right hand over his forehead as her left hand held onto one of his. "You were moaning in your sleep, that must have been some dream." She said with a smile as her eyes blinked back happy tears.  
  
"I'm feeling a lot better now. I'm glad you're here, Cal." He was so happy to see her but he was still feeling the effects of his strange dream and wondered if he was actually awake or if this was part of the dream too. The pain that had been with him moments before had lessened and he was thankful for that. He found it was hard to think clearly right now and he knew it must be because of the pain medication they had put in his I.V. drip.  
  
"This is the only place I want to be right now. Horatio pulled rank on me earlier, forcing me to go home and get some rest earlier, otherwise I would have been here when you woke up the first time." Calleigh said with a regretful smile.  
  
"It's okay, Calleigh. I'm glad Horatio talked you into going home and getting some rest. I would have done the same thing." Speed told her gently as she laced her fingers through his.  
  
"I was so scared, Tim." Calleigh confessed, as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. "You didn't show up and then Horatio called and he didn't know if you were going to live or die..." Her voice dissolved into quiet sobs and Speed wished he could hold her close and comfort her. In his present state all he could do was speak softly and squeeze the hand that still held his.  
  
She composed herself very quickly and smiled through her tears. "The doctors said that we wouldn't know how bad the concussion was until you woke up so none of us were sure what was going to happen." Calleigh took a deep breath and continued. "When Eric called and told me you were awake I really felt like we were getting a second chance."  
  
"Second chance? It's not like this is my first brush with death, Cal." Speed said, wondering what she was trying to say.   
  
"What I mean is, I care about you and I don't think you really know how much." Calleigh said softly, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Tell me." Speed said, seeing the answer in her eyes already. That didn't stop him from wanting to hear her say it. He'd been waiting so long already.  
  
"You're everything to me, Tim. I'm happiest when I'm around you and when I'm not with you, you're all I think about." Speed smiled at her and gingerly reached out to wipe a stray tear from her cheek.   
  
"That makes two of us then, Calleigh." Calleigh's expression was one of surprise and joy.  
  
"I wasn't sure. I wanted to tell you but the timing was never right..." Her voice trailed off, she was apparently at a rare loss for words as she held his gaze.  
  
"I know. It's scary taking that next step. You just don't know where you're going to end up. I think it's worth the risk though, don't you?" Speed said, as Calleigh's face inched closer to his.   
  
"Yes." She said breathlessly, before capturing his lips with hers. They started off soft and slow but they were soon kissing each other with a shared intensity. When they finally broke apart for air, Calleigh smiled guiltily at him.  
  
"What is it?" He asked, worried that he hadn't measured up somehow.  
  
"Nothing. I mean, that was...wow!" Calleigh said, absentmindedly nibbling her lower lip, driving him wild. If he had been physically able he would have pulled her to him so he could taste her lips with his own again. "I just don't think we should do this right now."   
  
"I understand." Speed replied, thinking Calleigh had changed her mind about him.  
  
"No! What I'm saying is, you have a severe concussion to recover from and you need to rest. I don't think that's going to happen as long as I'm here."  
  
"I think you're exactly what I need, Calleigh. I'm feeling better already." He lied. His head was starting to pound again and his ribs were killing him but the last thing he wanted was for her to leave him.  
  
"Nice try, Tim but you don't look very comfortable. Do you need anything for the pain? We can buzz for a nurse." Calleigh asked, running her fingers along his bare arm, sending shivers up his spine. He was kind of in shock over their unexpected kiss. It had been better than anything he'd ever allowed himself to imagine and all he wanted was to feel her close to him again. The pain was there though and couldn't be willed away.   
  
"Okay, maybe I could use some more drugs." Speed grudgingly admitted. Without hesitation Calleigh leaned over Speed to press the call button, the only part of her that touched him was her hair as it brushed over his arms but he could feel his heart racing from the minimal contact.   
  
As they waited for the nurse to arrive they just held hands and both of them were smiling. Speed felt relieved to just have his feelings out in the open and he felt deliriously happy knowing that Calleigh felt the same way. They had given into temptation and it felt so good. He couldn't wait to get out of the hospital and spend some time alone with her but in the meantime, it was good to just have her with him, wherever they were.   
  
The nurse came in to see what they needed and Speed tried to explain the intensity of the pain. The nurse agreed to give him a bit more medicine.  
  
"This is going to make you sleepy though. Just get some rest and I'll check in on you later, okay?" She smiled at them both and quietly left the room.  
  
"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, Tim." Calleigh said.  
  
"I'm glad." Speed replied, already feeling the heaviness in his eyelids. "So, did I miss anything while I was sleeping?" He asked with a grin.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Tim. You were the main attraction the last couple of days. Horatio got someone to cover me at work and he and everyone else have been in and out. Everyone's been very worried about you." She said, a hint of sadness in her eyes as she talked about the last two days.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere. Except to sleep pretty quick." Speed closed his eyes. "Eric and Cathy, did they have their date?" Calleigh squeezed his hand.  
  
"No...they both decided they wanted to wait until you were available to baby-sit Melissa, since you were so excited about it..." Speed tried to open his eyes as Calleigh spoke those last words but his eyelids were too heavy and he had to sleep.   
  
Giving into it, he drifted off to dream of Calleigh and him, spending an evening with Melissa. Then he noticed that this baby was smaller than Melissa was and had a head of blonde curls. As he looked at Calleigh and the baby laughing at each other, he realized she looked happier than he'd ever seen her before. He knew this was just a dream, but maybe, someday....  
  
The End. 


End file.
